It is well known in the medial field that electrode leads capable of delivering electrical shocks may be implanted in a patient's body to stimulate a particular area or organ therein. Such leads may be positioned, for example, proximate a patient's heart to treat very fast, and potentially lethal, cardiac arrhythmias. Typically, such epicardial leads are coupled to an implantable cardiac device (ICD) which continuously monitors the heart's electrical signals and senses if, for example, the heart is beating dangerously fast. If this condition is detected, the ICD can deliver one or more electric shocks within a few seconds to return the heart to a normal heart rhythm.
Electrode leads of the type described above may be secured within a patient's body by at least one fixation helix. This fixation device often serves as an electrode and is inserted (i.e. screwed) into an area of human tissue such as an epicardial surface. Implant tools capable of guiding an electrode lead to and rotating the attached fixation helix into an implant site are known and typically comprise a distal gripping assembly for engaging (i.e. loading) part of a lead (e.g. the head) coupled to a proximal handle. During implantation, a surgeon engages a lead with the tool, positions it at the implant site, implants the lead (i.e. screws the lead's fixation helix into an area of tissue), and lastly disengages the lead from the tool. In some cases implantation may be accomplished by rotating the entire tool, but, in many cases, wherein the site of implantation is not readily accessible (e.g. a posterior epicardial surface accessed via a thoracotomy), this is not practical. Thus, to facilitate the implant of electrical leads in difficult-to-reach areas, implant tools, which permit remote rotation of the gripping assembly, have been developed. It is desirable to provide a lead implant tool that may be effectively utilized with one hand for the engagement, positioning, implant (e.g. via remote rotation of the gripping assembly), and disengagement of an electrical lead.